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Imitations of the Qin Terracotta Figures are of a high level of craftsmanship and sculpture, and are hailed as the eighth wonder of the world. The artists and craftsmen of Xi’an make excellent imitation figures of all sizes that are portable and make fine souvenirs and gifts.

Jade carvings boast a 5,000-year history and large amounts of it have been discovered during archaeological excavations. Nowadays all kinds of exquisitely-carved jade articles, such as bowls, bracelets, pendants, etc., are produced in the Xian Jade Carving Factory.

Paper-cutting is a very distinctive visual art in China.’ It originated from the 6th century when women pasted golden and silver foil cuttings onto their hair at religious temples, and men used them in sacred rituals. Later, they were used during festivals to decorate gates and windows. They are now a very popular means of decoration among country folk, especially women.

Imitations of the Tri-colored Glazed Pottery of the Tang Dynasty are referred to as “Tangsancai”. Artisans in Van and Qianxian County make and sell imitations of Tang-style tricolored pottery figurines, horses, camels and utensils.
Yaozhou Porcelain was a well-known blue porcelain producer in northern China during the Song Dynasty. At present, kilns in Yaozhou create porcelain pieces for household decoration.

Shaanxi Opera Masks are inspired by the makeup of Shaanxi Opera in which greasepaint is placed on the faces of the performers representing various characters, for example, red for loyalty; black for righteousness, impertinence or intrepidity; yellow for atrocity; blue and green for hotspurs; and white for treacherous court officials and baddies. The Shaanxi Opera Masks are artful pieces which provide additional insight into Shaanxi Opera and folk customs and practices.

Farmers’ Paintings are a special type of souvenir by the farmers of Shaanxi. The farmers paint objects of inspiration ranging from cultural and historical figures, animals, flowers, birds and more. The compositions of the paintings are simple yet aesthetically appealing with emphasis on color and marked visual effects. They capture the many aspects of rural life and have a unique style. Farmers’ Paintings are mostly distributed in the Hu County of the central Shanxi plain, Ansai County and Luochuan County of Northern Shaanxi Province. Hu County is heralded as the home of farmers’ paintings, and now has more than 2,000 native-born painters whose works grace art galleries at home and abroad. The beautiful farmers’ paintings can be bought at many tourist attractions from vendors and in small shops, where visitors can bargain with sellers for good prices.

Where to buy

East Avenue is one of the busiest commercial areas in Xian. Shu Yuan Men is another street packed with antique shops. Century Ginwa Shopping Mall is a high-end, exclusive shopping center with stores representing more than 60 world-famous brands.

Kai Yuan Shopping Mall is regarded as one of the biggest shopping mall in Xi’an. Because of its reasonable prices and quality commodities as well as good services, Kai Yuan enjoys a good reputation in Xi’an. Ba Xian Temple Antique Market also known as the Ba Xian An local antique market, is a two-tier antique-style wooden building, with more than 40 stores. It sells various artifacts such as terracotta figures, calligraphy, jade caving, porcelain, handicraft etc.